REOPENING Malaysia’s economy next Monday, after more than six weeks of a partial lockdown, has come as a shock to a section of Malaysians who believe that it still isn’t safe outside their homes yet.

It isn’t. It won’t be until a vaccine is found and that is months, if not years, away.

But life must go on, as it has daily for the countless frontliners who have worked courageously and selflessly, even before March 18, to contain the coronavirus pandemic that causes Covid-19 in Malaysia.

Some now question the wisdom of Malaysia opening up its economy without a definite plan in sight, unlike the gradual timelines of other countries in Europe and even Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

But a slew of notices has come out on the National Security Council’s (NSC) Telegram channel that should serve as a guide for all unless there are U-turns along the way.

More importantly, people don’t have to go out unless they want to, or their companies compel them to return to work.

Those companies have to follow the guidelines set by the government for their offices, shopfronts, workspaces and factory floors as the case may be. It is not as chaotic or haphazard as some may think.

These guidelines have to be met and it would take a few days after May 4 for this to happen, including having compulsory thermal imaging or thermometers, deep cleaning of facilities, thrice-a-day clean-ups – if not by that date itself.

Perhaps people don’t trust the government’s handling of the situation, as their experience from the moratorium on loan repayments and interest, barbers and hair salons, and others have shown an administration that is not sure of the law and implications of its policies.

Perhaps we all trust the director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and will only move once he gives the all-clear.

The thing is, he can’t just yet because this virus is infectious and unless we follow his guidelines, we can’t ever live and work outside our houses.

But the decision to live and work outside our houses is ours to make, depending on the freedoms allowed by any authority during the course of a pandemic.

After all, the idea of the movement control order (MCO), which began on March 18 for two weeks and subsequently extended three times, was to “flatten the curve” of infections to enable the health services to build capacity and treat everyone equally without any shortcomings.

As we can all see, that has been done pretty well save for the unfortunate rush of people to return to their hometowns on March 17, the tabligh cluster, the church cluster and imported cases from returning Malaysians.

Right now, and after six weeks or so, the government has decided we are adult enough to go out responsibly and work safely.

For those of you comfortable to stay and work from home, please carry on. But many are not in the same boat. Many have to work to pay the rent, the car and everything else to sustain whatever lifestyle they can in urban and rural Malaysia.

They are part of the Malaysian economy that has cumulatively lost RM63 billion since March 18 and those losses could top RM100 billion by the end of May. They have to go back to work, to open their businesses and hope to salvage whatever that is left of 2020.

They are the same as those who worked throughout the MCO, the garbage guy, the road sweeper, the delivery boy, the policeman, the soldier, the fireman, the nurse, the doctor, the health worker, the grocer, the butcher, the vegetable seller, the fishmonger, the supermarket cashier and stacker.

The risk is high but they do it. And now the rest of Malaysians who had to suffer without much since March 18 – from the nasi lemak seller to the restauranteur, to the hardware shop, to the department store salesperson and the mechanic – have to earn their livelihood.

If everybody can live at home on fresh air, sunshine and love, they would. But the reality is some cannot and they need to start life anew as soon as it is possible.

So, May 4 it is, for better or worse. – May 1, 2020.

* Jahabar Sadiq runs The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.